Probiotics - the other side of bacteria

Bacteria, which we generally
associate with the bearers of bad health and infections; actually have another
side too. A side which we normally are unaware of is the good side of a few
beneficial bacteria which are naturally present in our body along with the
harmful ones.

There are about 400 distinct species
of microorganisms which are making up for about 1 percent of our body weight
and among these are a couple of bacteria that are standing guard against
infection and harmful toxins in our body. These two are namely lactobacilli and
bifidobacteria. These are also called probiotics, derived from a Greek
adjective, literally means “for life” as opposed to anti-biotic which mean
“against life”. Probiotics are produced by a chemical action of lactic acid bacteria
and yeasts or a combination of both.

Medical research has now proved that
foods rich in probiotic can promote the growth and preservation of these
beneficial bacteria in our digestive system, thus building up our immune system
better to fight against diseases.

Women can be greatly benefited by
the promotion of probiotics in their body; mainly because according to clinical
research, probiotics prevent the infection of the urinary tract. It can also
help in the treatment of yeast infection of the urinary tract, which is a major
breakthrough in the field of medical research. Also pregnant women are often
recommended to use probiotic rich food or supplements; however such usage
should always be recommended by the physician or started after consultation.

These helpful bacteria are also known
to prevent colon cancer; however the findings are still in the preliminary
stages.

Probiotics also help in lowering
cholesterol, mainly because of its ability to break bile in the stomach. These
are also said to help in lowering blood pressure, but again the findings have
not been finalized. Inflammation of the stomach is also found to be reduced
with the help of probiotics.

Although the research of the benefits
of probiotics are far from completed, it is however prudent to include food
rich in probiotics into our diet to help build a better digestive and immune
system.

Some of the food rich in probiotics are yogurt, soy milk, tofu, kefir, Sauerkraut, green pickles, kimchi, cheese and some other dairy products and fermented foods. While checking for
the probiotic content labels, the point to keep in mind is to check the amount
of probiotics at the time of consumption or expiration instead of manufacture,
because the figures greatly differ.

There are also various food supplements
available in the market that are rich in probiotics but there are also the ones
which make exaggerated claims of health benefits without the support of any
clinical data. Care should be taken to carefully check the validity of such
claims before going for any product.